Julie Rose

Developers of a proposed outlet mall in southwest Charlotte want the city and county to pitch in up to $6 million for streets and utilities.  The request goes before the city council Monday night and will be in the Mecklenburg County Commission's hands Tuesday. WFAE's Julie Rose explains:

The city and county are increasingly being hit up by developers for what's called a "tax increment grant."

City leaders believe Charlotte has a shortage of housing that's affordable to families making less than $54,000 a year. Monday night, the city council is expected to approve a new zoning ordinance aimed at changing that. WFAE's Julie Rose reports:

  Thursday's official news of a merger between US Airways and American Airlines brought a sigh of relief to Charlotte, which seems poised to maintain its prominence as a major hub. But WFAE's Julie Rose reports there's reason for some caution amid the optimism.

Adie Tomer of the Brookings Institution has one word for Charlotte – Cincinnati. It was a major hub for Delta back in 2008 when the airline merged with Northwest. Everyone was breathing a sigh of relief there, too, says Tomer.

Duke Energy reported modest earnings for 2012 of about $3 per share – but the number would have been much lower if Duke hadn't raised electric rates in the Carolinas by 7 percent last year. WFAE's Julie Rose reports on this classic case of conflicting interests – where pain for ratepayers means profit for investors:

The Government Reorganization and Efficiency Act - which has passed the North Carolina senate and will now be considered by the House – has gotten a lot of attention because it would allow Republican leaders to remake a number of powerful commissions and regulatory bodies.  But the Act would also eliminate 12 Special Superior Court Judge positions – which got us wondering what a special superior court judge is.  So, we asked WFAE's Julie Rose to find out.

The Charlotte City Council this afternoon reached a tentative deal with the Carolina  Panthers to spend $143 million on improvements at Bank of America Stadium.  In exchange, the Panthers agree to stay in Charlotte for at least 15 years. Without this deal, City Attorney Bob Hagemann says the city could lose the team at any time.

Charlotte newcomers may recognize the name "Gantt" because it's on the Center for African Arts and Culture Uptown. They may even know Harvey Gantt was the city's first African American mayor. But the name carries even more weight in South Carolina, where Gantt had a major role in desegregation. That is the subject of a new documentary airing this weekend on ETV – the South Carolina public television station.  WFAE's Julie Rose explains:

A power struggle is afoot over Charlotte's airport. The city council has long overseen it, but soon Republican lawmakers from Mecklenburg County will introduce a measure that would strip control of the airport from city hands. The plan has sparked anxiety and accusations as WFAE's Julie Rose explains.